Any time my creative pipes begin to freeze, I dig into myself and write. Afterward, my mind clears and I am free to pursue any of my other art forms. And Voila! I can create again.

Honestly, my stories are what foster all of my art–even my paintings. Often, I do not realize that memories are continually surfacing, but they are always there:

Christmas in Mississippi
Jacki Kellum Watercolor.

I painted Christmas in Mississippi while I was living in New Jersey, remembering the much warmer Decembers back home.

My picture book The Donkey’s Song sprang from my childhood, when I participated in my small church’s Christmas Pageant.

I write from my memories periodically, but I definitely write from my memories during the month of November. November is National Memoir Writing Month. During the month of November I also offer the Free Online Memoir Writing Event: Harvest Your Past:

Join me here on my blog every day during the month of November and each day, I’ll provide you with a free writing prompt and a short tutorial to help you write from your own memories.